La Fiera
by Amberlee26
Summary: Lies and misunderstanding have wrecked their relationship but Fox Crane is determined to win back the woman that he loves no matter what the cost. Can their love overcome the hatred of the man determined to keep them apart?
1. Chapter 1

**This story is a lot more graphic than my others so if you enjoy lighthearted stories don't read. If you've read my other stories you should know that I rarely follow storylines and this is no exception. Quality feedback (which means more than just a great story, update soon) really appreciated. **

Chapter One

San Francisco, California

Club Azure…

The petite brunette walked confidently onstage and waited for the music to start. Her dark brown hair lay loose and curly on her shoulders and her slender frame was encased in a bright red off the shoulder peasant style blouse and a flaming orange skirt that fell to her ankles but showed a hint of her shapely legs with every step she took. Gold hoops winked from her ears and the three delicate bangle bracelets that dangled from her slender wrist gave her the appearance of an exotic gypsy. Her dark sultry eyes teased every man in the crowd and promised untold delights and her full mouth was curved in a wicked smile that told the men that she would enjoy fulfilling those promises. The crowd watched her with mesmerized eyes for she was as bright and alluring as the sun in the sky, despite the fact that a thin demi-mask covered half of her face.

Smiling at the audience that waited with bated breath for her to begin her performance she closed her eyes and let the music touch her soul. Slowly, letting the sensuality that was trapped in her heart shake loose, she began to dance, her slender arms following the sensuous and intricate movement of her hips. Her unhurried movements were both delicate and sensual and she teased the audience with glimpses of her honey-toned skin before she leisurely removed the peasant style blouse and the sarong style skirt she wore. Oblivious to the catcalls and whistles of the appreciative males in the crowd she continued her rhythmic dance, lost in memories of the past.

_"I love you baby, I love you so much," the tall fair haired man whispered in her ear as he captured her mouth with his own. The brunette's only reply was the breathy little moan she let out as her lover began to suckle her lush breasts and the breath caught in her throat when he parted her slim thighs and began to tease and stroke her wet warmth with his nimble tongue._

_"Oh Resa, you're so wet, so warm for me, I want you so much," he cried, laughing delightedly when she fell apart in his arms but before she could recover he had settled his warm body against hers and had begun to make love to her in earnest. Resa's soft hands stroked his back as he slid in and out of her satiny sheath and when she could take no more she let out a broken cry and begged him to finish what he had started. With a savage curse, the blond man lifted his head and pressing a hard kiss on her soft mouth he thrust inside her in one smooth stroke and led them both over the edge._

----------  
_"How could you do this to me? I trusted both of you. God you make me sick," Resa yelled furiously at the couple that lay intertwined in each other's arms in the king size bed that she'd shared with her lover scant hours before._

_"Sweetie, we're sorry, so sorry. Neither of us wanted you to find out this way," the young woman with the wild mop of curly hair and coffee colored skin murmured in a regretful tone._

_"Oh and when were you planning on informing me that you were fucking my boyfriend, you deceitful bitch?" the petite brunette replied silkily and the other woman flushed._

_"This isn't what it looks like I swear. I was sleeping and when she climbed in beside me I thought she was you and by the time I realized she wasn't you had already walked in," the fair haired man replied desperate to make her believe his side of the story._

_"Oh that's rich, what kind of fool do you take me for?" Resa replied scathingly._

_"It's the truth babe. Do you really believe that I could make love to you so sweetly and then climb in bed with your best friend? She means nothing to me, absolutely nothing. You're the one I love," he replied, pleading with her to understand that he'd been tricked._

_"Fox, why are you lying to her? You admitted to me that I was your mystery woman and that it was me you really loved so how can you stand there and pretend that what happened between us was nothing but a misunderstanding?" Whitney cooed walking over to him and raking a possessive hand through his hair._

_She felt her heart tear in two as the truth of her former best friend's words sank in. She'd always known that her lover had loved another woman but to know that it was her best friend he'd lusted after all this time was tearing her to pieces._

_"I can explain," he began but she'd seen and heard enough._

_"Don't touch me, don't ever touch me again. To think that I thought you were different, that I trusted you when you've been using me all this time. God," she whispered making no effort to hide her pain and disillusion._

_"I hope he's worth throwing away twenty three years of friendship for," Resa told her friend before walking away._

----------

_The tears had nearly blinded her as she made her way home and she'd almost reached the safety of her house when a pair of strong arms had grabbed her from behind and knocked her against the hard ground. She'd fought; oh how she'd fought the hands that had ripped her clothes and forcibly abused her but she'd been no match for his strength._

_When she'd realized that fighting was futile she'd closed her eyes and prayed that he would be swift. She'd open one blackened eye when she felt his body go limp above her and a terrified whimper had escaped her lips when she'd recognized her abuser. His fine hewn features, bright blue eyes, and tawny hair would be engraved in her memory forever and she'd known from the second he'd opened his eyes and recognized her that her life would be in great peril if she opened her mouth and made an accusation against him. Left with no other option she'd run home packed her things and left Harmony that very night._

The woman continued her seductive dance, her body's movements elegant and graceful even when she stood before her audience clothed only in the white thong that revealed more than it covered. Her high, pert breasts were smooth and tempting; her berry colored nipples erect, and her satiny skin was covered with a light sheen of sweat. The perfection of her body held everyone in the audience enthralled and when the petite brunette known only as "La Fiera" finished her dance and walked offstage there was not a man in the audience who wouldn't dream of her that night.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't know if I should continue with this story. No one seems to like it. I only got one review or the first chapter**.

Chapter 2

Harmony, Maine

Crane Mansion

Fox stared at the worn photograph in his hand as his memories of Teresa consumed him. He'd known from the first moment he'd laid eyes on her that Teresa was the one woman in the world he wouldn't be able to walk away from. Her exotic beauty and carefree innocence had captivated him from the first. And the fact that she had believed herself in love with his good for nothing half-brother had not stopped him from attempting to make her his. It was only after they'd announced their engagement that he'd accepted defeat and turned his roving eye on her best friend. Whitney was lovely in her own way but she couldn't be compared to Teresa. Because she also had a boyfriend he'd dubbed her his mystery woman and half-heartedly pursued her.

But his heart hadn't been in it because it was Teresa he'd really wanted. When Ethan had broken his engagement to Teresa and declared that he was going to marry his pregnant ex-girlfriend he'd been delirious with joy. Teresa of course had been devastated but gradually had come to realize that Ethan hadn't deserved her love and devotion and she'd slowly gotten over him. And Fox had been there every step of the way. When he'd declared his feeling for her she'd responded in kind and they'd shocked the whole town by declaring their own engagement. They'd both been so damn happy, had made so many plans and it'd all been for naught.

Everything had been going so smoothly and he'd been so happy that he hadn't seen anything wrong with telling Whitney that she was his mystery woman after he and Teresa had gotten back together but that had turned out to be the biggest mistake of his life. If he'd known the real Whitney he wouldn't have looked at her twice. But she'd been Teresa's best friend and his Resa had spoken so lovingly of Whitney that he'd been blinded to her true nature. Closing his eyes he recalled the argument he'd had with Whitney shortly after realizing she had set him up and that she'd known Teresa was watching them when she'd begun coming on to him. Teresa had run out without letting him explain and he'd been so furious he had wanted to throttle Whitney with his bare hands.

_----------_

_"Get out," he told her icily, his eyes cold and his mouth set in grim lines._

_"Awww, come on Foxy, we could have so much fun together. What does Teresita have that I don't?" she murmured seductively._

_"Don't compare yourself to Teresa, you bitch because you will come out losing," Fox shot back, his gaze raking over her too thin body derisively._

_"You know you want me, Foxy. I can see it in your eyes," Whitney whispered pressing her body against him and trying to bring his mouth to hers._

_"I don't want you. Why should I settle for hamburger meat when I've already had filet mignon?" Fox replied cruelly. _

_"Bastard," Whitney screamed furiously, attempting to slap him but Fox grabbed her forcibly by one arm and dragged her out of the room._

_"You're damn lucky I'm a gentleman you stupid bitch or I swear you'd be leaving in a stretcher. Get out of my sight Whitney and don't come back. You are persona non grata in this house and if I catch you anywhere near the estate ever again I will have you arrested," Fox warned her with a hard smile._

_"I hate you, I hate you. Damn Cranes think you own the world don't you? Well you've lost this round because Teresa will never forgive you for cheating on her with her best friend, especially not after what happened with Ethan. God, I never laughed so hard in my life as I did the day she came to me and told me Ethan was marrying Gwen because he had gotten her pregnant. Too bad she never realized that I helped Gwen trick Ethan into sleeping with her and that it was I who let Gwen know that Teresa had copied Ivy's letter into her computer. Ethan never trusted her after that and when I swore to him that Teresa was cheating on him he believed me. It's why he turned to Gwen," she cried with a smug smile. _

_"You vindictive, hypocritical bitch, Teresa thought you were her best friend but you hated her didn't you? God, why didn't I see it before?" Fox replied, running a hand through his blond hair._

_"Because I'm good that's why. And yes I have always hated her. Everyone always compared us and told me I should try to emulate her. Teresa was the bright one, the sweet one, the prettiest, and the most sought after girl in Harmony. Did you know that every boy I had a crush on in grade school invariably fell in love with her instead? I always felt so dowdy, so invincible whenever she was around. And if all that wasn't bad enough she also had the perfect family, an older brother who doted on her, two younger siblings who worshipped her, and parents who spoiled her rotten. While I got stuck with a mother who spreads her legs for anyone who asks and a father who abandoned us to our fate because he couldn't take Mother's whorish ways. Teresa had everything and I had nothing. Why shouldn't I have evened the score a bit?" Whitney asked with a toss of her head._

_Fox sent her a faintly pitying look but was still too angry to excuse her actions when she might have cost him the love of his life._

_"Get out," he repeated softly and with a final smug smile Whitney picked up her clothes and walked to the door._

_"See you around lover. Call me if you ever have an itch you can't scratch," she added before disappearing._

----------

And the worst thing was that Teresa had disappeared before he had a chance to patch things up. He'd gone crazy with anger and grief when Pilar and Martin had given him the news and he'd spent the first six months after her disappearance drunk out of his mind. Surprisingly enough it had been Julian who had forced him to see that feeling sorry for himself wasn't going to bring Teresa back.

"_Sober up Fox. You're a Crane dammit so please start acting like one. If you want Teresa so much then quit trying to drown your sorrows and go after the girl," Julian screamed at his son._

_"I can't Pops. Don't know where she's at," Fox replied with a slur._

_Julian stared at Fox and thought back to the happy, satisfied man he'd been just a few months before. Teresa had changed his son for the better, he had stopped drinking and chasing whatever skirt caught his eye and had begun to settle down. Even Alistair had been forced to admit that Teresa was a good influence on his grandson and had stopped trying to tear the two apart. And now Teresa's disappearance was slowly destroying his boy._

_"I can't let it happen; I won't let history repeat itself. I couldn't be happy with Eve but I'm going to make sure that Fox is happy with Teresa," he swore to himself._

_"And since when do Cranes let anyone get the best of them, son? Teresa didn't have a penny to her name when she left town. She shouldn't be that hard to find. Hire a private detective to find her and then drag her back to Harmony," Julian ordered Fox coldly._

Fox had been dumbstruck by his father's instructions but the first glimmer of hope had stirred inside him. Taking Julian's words to heart he had gone to his room to shower and change and then he had called Max, one of the Crane lawyers and ordered him to find the best private detective in the state and send him over to the mansion. But despite the money he'd spent searching for her; Teresa remained out of his reach.

A lone tear trickled down his cheek as he remembered his proposal to Teresa.

_----------_

_"Fox, where are you taking me?" a giggling Teresa asked her boyfriend._

_"Someplace special Resa," Fox replied, his gaze tender and loving as he glanced at her profile._

_"Can't you give me a hint?" she cajoled sweetly. _

_"And ruin the surprise, never. Besides we're here," he replied._

_Teresa let out a gasp of surprise as she gazed around her in wonder. They were at the beach and Fox had littered the smooth white sand with rose petals. A bottle of champagne and two tall flutes lay on the surface of a small round table nestled in one corner. A discreet waiter dressed in black and white held a large wicker basket in one hand and beside him stood two musicians, one holding a flute and the other holding a small violin. Teresa's eyes watered and she turned to give Fox a weepy smile._

_"Fox, it's beautiful," she murmured, hardly able to believe that he had gone to so much trouble for her. _

_"Not half as beautiful as you," he replied and held out his hand in an invitation to dance._

_When they had finished dancing, Fox led her over to the table and they sat to enjoy the exquisite meal Fox had ordered especially for her._

_"Fox, this night has been magical," Teresa whispered to her lover a while later. They were sprawled on a blanket Fox had brought watching the sunset._

_"It's not over yet, babe," Fox replied. Teresa turned in his arms and stared at him with a question in her eyes._

_Why don't we go digging for seashells?" Fox asked knowing the romantic in Teresa wouldn't be able to resist._

_Teresa nodded happily and they began to walk along the water's edge. When they had walked about half a mile, Fox stopped and pointed at a beautiful soft pink shell. Teresa picked it up and pressed it to her ear._

_"Why don't you open it and see if there's anything inside?" he asked with a secret smile._

_Teresa looked at him wonderingly but then did as he asked. A gasp of surprise escaped her lips when she saw the diamond and emerald ring nestled inside._

_"Fox," she murmured wide eyed._

_"Teresa, I never thought I could love anyone the way I love you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Fox asked her._

_"Yes, Fox, yes. Of course I will marry you," Teresa replied, throwing herself in his arms and tumbling them both to the sand._

_Teresa's laughter changed to a husky moan when Fox's mouth descended on hers and his teasing fingers began to explore her secret places. The sound of their murmured sighs mingled in the night air._

"But I'm not giving up. I'm going to find you. I have too because my life is nothing without you," he told the woman in the picture.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. This story is very different but that's half the fun of writing it. Hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

Chapter 3

Club Azure, the next morning…

"Hi, Resa," Aubrey Matthews called out when Teresa walked into the club the next day.

Teresa murmured a reply and smiled at the girl but continued her purposeful stride towards Nick's office. She had a proposition for him and she was determined to force him to listen to her.

"Snotty bitch, just because she's sleeping with Nick she thinks she own the damn club," Layne Peters, one of the new girls whispered to her companion.

Teresa stopped in midstride and turned to glare at the buxom redhead who had made the catty comment.

"Were you talking to me, Lisa?" she asked icily, purposely mistaking the girl's name.

"No, I uh was talking to ah Molly," Layne replied nervously.

"Well if you want to keep your job, Lis- excuse me Layne, I suggest you learn the rules of the game first. You see I am not just "sleeping" with Nick, I am co-owner of this club and it's my job to make sure that all my girls get along. Club Azure doesn't tolerate cattiness or rudeness from its employees. Since you have so much free time on your hands why don't you read the employee manual you were supplied with until its time for you to practice your routine?" she ordered the insolent young woman haughtily before walking away.

Entering Nick's office she smiled when she saw him leaning over his desk, tortoise shell glasses perched on his nose and his face set in a scowl. Nick hated bookkeeping as much as she did but since she managed the creative side of the club that thankless job fell to him.

"Care for a break?" she called from the doorway then laughed when Nick blinked at her owlishly.

"Good, you're right on time. Could you look over these figures for me?" he asked hopefully.

"Nice try Slick but I'm not falling for it. I did however bring lunch by," she replied pointing to a white paper bag and unwrapping two meatball and mozzarella subs.

"I love you babe," Nick murmured gratefully grabbing his sandwich with one hand and tugging her into his lap with the other. Teresa carefully schooled her features so he couldn't see how much she hated the casual contact. 

It wasn't just Nick per se; she hated having anyone touch her, and couldn't bear even the most informal touch since the night…since the night she had been raped. When Nick had told her he wanted her to "dance" at his club she had almost retched and she'd had to teach herself to give him unlimited access to her body.

"_But it was worth it,_" she told herself and she knew that it was true.

Nick was a generous lover and as an exotic dancer at his club she'd squirreled enough money to put a down payment on the house she'd wanted and the car she needed. When Nick had given her half of the shares of his club she'd been ecstatic for she finally had the stability she had dreamed of and could begin to plan Cody's future. While outsiders thought of her as materialistic she viewed herself as pragmatic. Her body was her biggest asset and she had used it wisely. Now she was ready to move to the next stage of her plan.

"Nick, I want to open up a boutique," she told her lover calmly and without a trace of the nervousness that skittered along her spine.

"Resa, we've been over this," Nick began but seeing the determination on her face he sighed and gave in. He wasn't a fool and he knew that Teresa didn't love him. He also knew she didn't enjoy his lovemaking as much as she pretended. But he loved her and was willing to do anything to make her happy.

"Nick, I really think I could make this work for the kind of shop I want is very, very unique," she told him excitedly and Nick felt a spark of interest in her idea despite his misgivings.

It wasn't that he didn't believe in Teresa's capabilities, it was that such an expedition would be costly and with all the shops that lined Fisherman's wharf he thought it was doomed to failure. But Teresa was a shrewd businesswoman and that's why he had given her shares in his club, despite rumors to the contrary.

"What do you have in mind, mi cielo?" he asked with a slight smile, his eyes widening in admiration as she outline her plans.

"Por Dios, you never cease to amaze me, amor mio. You are right, this could make us a ton of money," he added pressing a soft kiss on her mouth and ignoring the slight tremor of her body at his touch.

"I want to call the shop "La Fiera Gitana" what do you think?" she asked.

"The Fiery Gypsy, it has a nice ring to it," he mused.

"Oh Nick, I have so many plans," she cried excitedly and Nick felt a rush of pleasure rush over him. Teresa was the only woman he'd ever really loved and he would go to his grave loving her. And beware the fool who tried to steal her away.

"I do not want to talk business anymore, Chiquita," he whispered huskily molding her slight form to his aroused body and slowly removing the straps of her halter style dress.

When he began suckling her breasts she kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut and made the appropriate noises when it seemed to be required. Nick had a beautiful body, smooth and toned and Teresa knew that the other girls envied her the exclusive use of it but neither his body nor his hands offered Teresa any true pleasure. She had sex with him because he expected it and because she could find no way around it. She pretended to enjoy it because she knew that Nick really and truly loved her. And in her own way she cared for him.

Nick Bozman had been kind to her when she'd arrived in San Francisco three years ago, alone, penniless and pregnant. He'd fed her, clothed her, and given her shelter and had treated her as an equal and not the green girl she'd been. He didn't pressure her into accepting the job he'd offered her or into becoming his lover but even as she'd accepted his help she'd know that a price would be exacted for his generosity. No one did anything for free and only fools and innocents believed otherwise. Teresa had never been a fool and she could no longer be considered an innocent.

"Sweet, you're so sweet," Nick whispered and Teresa forced her body to respond to his teasing caresses. When he lay replete and satisfied beside her, she let out a soft sigh of relief and because he had taken such care with her she pressed a soft kiss on his mouth before disentangling herself from his arms and walking to the adjoining bathroom. Shutting the door tightly behind her, she quickly turned on the shower to muffle the sound of her sobs and leaning against the tiled wall she finally let the tears she'd held at bay fall. Quickly slipping off the robe she had put on she climbed into the shower and let the scalding hot water sluice over her as she poured a goodly amount of soap unto a washcloth and started rubbing her skin clean.

Her life had changed forever that rainy night and though three years had passed she could recall every instant with perfect detail. She'd been in tears when she had left the Crane Mansion and hadn't been aware of her surroundings. When she had turned the corner that led to the house she had heard the heavy footsteps behind her and her heart had begun to pound madly. Going on instinct she'd tried to run but her assailant had been too swift.

_"Please, let me go, let me go," Teresa screamed at her captor, kicking and clawing as she tried to save herself from the horror that awaited her. Raising one knee the way she had been taught in self-defense she tried to kick him in the groin but he anticipated her move and managed to side step it. Knowing what would happen if she didn't fight, she made herself go limp in his arms and when he pulled her to hard ground she clawed at his face with one hand as she kicked his groin with her left knee. When he whimpered, she scrambled to her feet and ran as fast as she could._

_"Don't look back, don't look back. Run, just run as fast as you can," her mind screamed and Teresa tried to comply but before she could make it too far she felt her attacker pull her roughly against him._

_"Stupid bitch, did you really think you'd get away," he murmured and then backhanded her with such force that she fell to the floor in a dead faint._

_When she awakened she felt him pulling at her clothes and the night air felt cool against her bare skin. She could feel the hard bulge of his arousal pressing against her thighs and his hard hands roughly pawing her breasts and she wanted to vomit. When he tangled his hands in her hair and forced his mouth down on hers, the smell of the whiskey on his breath made her nauseas and a small moan escaped her lips._

_"Like that do you?" her tormentor whispered forcing his tongue inside her mouth as he continued to maul her breasts._

_Teresa squeezed her eyes shut and prayed that someone would come rescue her. _

_"Fox, help me," she screamed, tears seeping down her cheeks but there was no one to hear her pleas. _

_When her captor undid his trousers and roughly thrust into her, Teresa let out a loud wail that came from the depth of her soul. Her captor glared at her from eyes as blue as the summer sky and slapped her hard. Biting her lip so hard it bled, Teresa continued to weep but her tears were silent for she had finally realized that rescue would not be forthcoming and that her nightmare had just begun._

Teresa scrubbed her body until her soft skin was covered in red blotches but nothing could erase her memories and the sensation that her body had been soiled for all time. She felt dirty and used inside and there was no soap that could wash away those feelings.

When she stepped out of the shower, she saw her red, blotchy eyes and her pale face and grimaced. She couldn't let Nick see her like that. He knew nothing about her past and she meant to keep it like that.

"I can't let myself fall apart like this," she muttered as she pulled a brush through her tangled hair. "I won't let myself fall apart," she whispered determinedly.

She'd chosen this life for herself and for her child and there was no going back. Tears would solve nothing and only made her weak when she needed to be strong. Cody had no family but her and she didn't have time for useless regrets. She'd made her bed and now she had to lie in it. Or die trying.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it means a lot more than I can say. Two quick comments; first off Cody is Teresa's daughter, not her son and though her paternity has yet to be revealed she isn't Nick's. And to those who said that Teresa seems to be getting a rough deal, well yes she has. But all will turn out ok in the end. I promise. The song I used is by Usher. The chapter is rather short but its one of my faves. Hope you all like it. And as always reviews are greatly appreciated.**

Chapter 4

Harmony

"You found her? Are you sure?" Fox yelled into the phone. A sheen of sweat stained his face and his hands were trembling with nerves.

"Ok, now that you know what city she's at it shouldn't be that hard to track her. I'm going to fly to 'Frisco tonight. I'll be staying at the Sheraton. Look for me there," he added before hanging up.

"I'm coming after you Resa and this time I won't let anything or anyone tear us apart," he whispered.

Crane Industries

"Fox my boy; you're too clever for your own good. Seems that I underestimated you, a mistake I won't make again." Alistair murmured as he took a long, slow puff of his cigar.

Grinding the tobacco under his foot he walked around to his desk and picked up the phone.

"It's time to move on to plan two," he ordered the person on the other line.

San Francisco, Club Azure...later that same night

She walked onstage with swaying hips and a cocky smile. Though the crowd didn't realize it tonight would be her last performance and she meant to make it her best.

Letting the lyrics sing to her she thought of happier times. The song she'd chosen for tonight was bold and sexy and she needed her memories of Fox to pull off her act.

**Craving your body all through the night  
Feels like I'm going through withdraws  
I wanna hold you  
I want you inside of these of these arms  
I'm dying to taste you, I can't deny  
Can't get out of my mind  
Please let me hold you  
Cause I need your lovin' tonight**

Completely immersed in the music, Teresa let her body speak for her. As she undulated to the beat of the song, her body dormant for so long began to awaken and the sensuality of her movements stirred the lust of every male in the room.

**Whenever I'm near you  
My love just comes down  
Whenever I see you  
I just want you around  
Cause I wanna feel you  
All through the day and the night  
Whenever I'm near you  
It feels like bedtime**

Fox watched her through slitted eyes. When the jet had landed earlier that evening he'd headed straight for the hotel but too keyed up to rest he'd walked to the bar downstairs to order a drink. The bartender had referred him to the club and for lack of anything better to do he'd decided to scope the place out. But now, the dancer onstage had captured his attention as no other woman had been able to for three years.

**Constantly thinking of things to do  
Places where we can make love  
I wanna freak you  
I'll freak you wherever you want  
Placing my kisses all over you  
Caressing you so nice and slow  
Oh how, I want you**

Her skin was the tawny gold of rich, warm honey, her eyes were the color of sinful dark chocolate and her waterfall of hair was as black as the night sky. She was in a word stunning and Fox felt himself hardening as she bared her body to his gaze. The more skin she revealed the more he wanted her. Her breasts were ripe and full, her nipples the color of ripe berries, her waist slim and small, her legs long and sleek. She was the loveliest woman he'd ever seen. Taking a quick sip of the neat whiskey he'd ordered he shook his head to break the spell the dancer had woven over him but it was useless. He was captivated by her.

**I get so lonely  
Thinking about you  
You are the only  
One I dream of or think of at all  
I'm so into you  
Outta my mind for you  
Say you can't go a day without me**

Teresa felt his eyes on her. It was too dark for her to make out his features but she knew deep in her heart that it was he she danced for. Her body had recognized him long before she'd sensed his presence and as a result her dancing had taken on a whole new allure. Whereas her dancing was always provocative, tonight she was alluring, she was a woman spinning a cozy web around the man she wanted. And it was no use denying that she wanted him. The nameless, faceless man slouched on the barstool had awakened hungers in her she'd thought she'd buried. The only other man she'd ever desired with such ferocious hunger had been Fox.

Even as the thought formulated in her mind, the stage lights began to flicker and she caught a glimpse of his profile.

"Fox?" she murmured blindly as the song ground to a halt and the thunderous applause began.

**Outta my mind for you  
I can't go one day without needing you  
I just need to hold you U know that**

As the applause thundered around him Fox stared at the dance onstage, surprise etched in his face as recognition flickered inside him.

"Teresa?" he questioned.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to all those who reviewed, it means more than you know. This chapter begins the confrontation between Teresa and Fox. I divided up the chapters. Tell me what you think. **

Chapter 5

Club Azure

"Teresa?" Fox rasped staring at the petite brunette with confusion.

This couldn't be his Teresa. What would she be doing at a place like this? He had to have confused her with someone else. But as he stared into her eyes he knew that it his first instinct had been right. That was Teresa, up on stage, her curvaceous body bared for all to see. His initial surprise replaced with a cold anger, Fox slammed the highball glass he held in his hand on the counter and leaped up onstage. Teresa let out a soft gasp of surprise when she felt him grab her arm and she stared at him from wide startled eyes.

"What the hell are you doing at a place like this and dressed like that?" he asked disdainfully, his gaze raking her near nude body with derision.

He couldn't believe that he had spent the last three years searching like a maniac for any trace of her whereabouts and she had been selling herself like a cheap whore at this tacky club. The woman he had fallen in love with would never have dreamed of demeaning herself in such a way and Fox felt as if he were staring at a complete stranger. What had happened to her?

Teresa stared at the man she loved with every fiber of her being and felt her heart break at the scorn she read in his gaze. She had never thought he could look at her with such derision and his disdain spurned her anger. That Fox of all people should look down at her for what she had done to survive when he was the one who'd cheated on her with her best friend enraged her. Forcing herself to remain calm when all she wanted to do was wipe the condescending smirk off his face, she tilted her lips in the semblance of a smile and gazed at him coquettishly.

"I'm sorry Sugar but we've never met. I'm sure I'd remember meeting a stud like you. You must be confusing me with someone else," she replied.

The baffled look on his face caused her smile to widen and trailing her fingers down his sculpted chest she continued the game.

"We haven't met have we? Or am I forgetting something I should be remembering?" she added watching his face tighten with annoyance at the insinuation that she could forget a night in his arms.

"We've spent many nights together, as well you know Sugar," he replied arrogantly his gaze lingering on her soft mouth for a few heated seconds and Teresa felt her pulse beat faster.

She could have cursed when she saw his complacent grin widen but she restrained herself with effort. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her ruffled.

"But that's neither here nor there. Teresa, why did you leave Harmony without a word to anyone? Your family was frantic with worry when they'd realized you'd gone and so was I," he added brusquely. The nights he had spent worrying over her made his tone harsher than he'd intended.

Teresa's eyes darkened with pain as she thought of her family and remembered the brutal rape she had suffered at the hands of a man she had trusted her entire life. Fox watched the emotions flicker across her face and wished that she would confide in him so he could fix whatever was broken.

"Sorry Sugar. I've never been to any place called Harmony. I was born and raised right here in 'Frisco," she lied without batting an eye. "You must be confusing me with someone else. Now, I had a lovely time chatting with you but I've got to run," she told him tracing his lower lip with her thumb and smiling with satisfaction when his breath became more erratic.

"_Score one for me,_" she thought tossing her hair provocatively and then walking away before he could reply.

"Good luck finding your Teresa, Sugar," she added over her shoulder and was again surprised when Fox grabbed her forcibly by the arm and dragged her into a corner of the stage so the audience could no longer see them.

"Let go or I'll scream so loud security will come running," she threatened but Fox simply pulled her tightly against him and caught her mouth in a hot torrid kiss.

As soon as she felt his mouth pressed against hers, Teresa felt her body go limp with desire. It had been so long since she'd felt like this and suddenly she couldn't get enough of him. Desperate to feel his hard flesh under her hands, Teresa hurriedly undid the buttons of his shirt so she could caress his smoothly muscled chest. Fox's hands cupped her soft breasts and Teresa let out a moan when she felt him graze her tight nipples with his hand. Pressing her against the wall, Fox bend his head to catch one hard nipple in his mouth and Teresa responded by tangling her hands in his thick hair and holding his head against her breasts. Fox suckled her breasts gently, lovingly and Teresa nearly whimpered from the need he wrought in her. It wasn't until she felt his hand slip inside her panties and he began caressing her slick folds that she remembered where they were and made a sound of protest.

"Fox we can't, someone can walk past at any moment," she whispered and Fox raised heavy lidded eyes to her face.

It was at that moment that she realized that he was as far-gone as she and another moan escaped her before she could stop it.

"Then let's go someplace where no one can interrupt us," he murmured against her ear and Teresa felt herself weaken.

This was Fox, the only man she'd ever loved and she wanted him with a desperation that was almost humiliating. Just as she opened her mouth to answer, she saw Nick out of the corner of her eye and she knew that he had seen everything. A dull flush worked its way up her skin and for the first time in a long time she felt like the whore most men thought she was. Nick had been nothing but kind to her, he treated her like a queen and Cody like a princess and he didn't deserve to be betrayed like this. Cursing herself for a fool, she hastily slipped out of Fox's arms and ran as quickly as she could to her dressing room. She knew Nick would have Fox escorted off the premises and he would also be warned not to return. But she knew Fox wouldn't heed the warnings, he had come too far, searched too long to back off now. And if he kept digging eventually he would find out about Cody.

"_I can't let that happen,_" she thought. "I won't let it happen. Cody is my child, I won't let Fox steal her from me," she whispered resolutely.

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't even hear Nick walk in. The pain in his dark eyes was more than she could bear and without a word she walked over to him and pressed a soft, tender kiss on his hard mouth.

"I'm sorry," she whispered achingly.

Nick tightened his arms around her, breathed in the floral scent of her shampoo and cursed himself for a fool. He'd known without being told that the blond stranger had been Cody's father. The kiss they'd shared had been too intimate and the man had touched her boldly, possessively, as if he were assured of her acquiescence. But knowing all this and being able to let her go were two different things. If he were a better man he'd free her so she could be with the man who possessed her heart but Nick knew that he wasn't going to make things easy for her. He wasn't that noble or that selfless. Life without Teresa didn't bear thinking about.

"You must be tired so I'll leave you alone so you can shower and change. I'll have Pablo escort you home. Give Cody a kiss for me," Nick told her a few moments later and Teresa let out a sight of relief that he hadn't asked any questions.

When she was alone again she quickly removed the stage makeup and slipping into her street clothes, she grabbed her bag and rushed out of the club. Slipping into her car, she waited for Pablo to pull out behind her and then made her way home.

After paying the babysitter and checking in on Cody, Teresa walked into her room and without turning on the light, walked over to her bureau and pulled out a pair of pajamas. The ornate bureau was white and gold and had delicate angels stenciled on each drawer. The matching mirror was round and resembled a cherub. Glass bottles and pots of creams lined the bureau top along with a beautiful wind up music box. A matching dresser rested against one cream colored wall and a simple brass bed with two end tables nestled on each side completed the décor of the room. The floor was carpeted in a bright shade of peach and two tasteful Degas paintings with his customary pastels lined the walls. The bed was made up with floral print sheets in varying shades of peach, mint, and blue and the room was feminine without being fussy. Teresa loved every square inch of it.

When she had slipped the baby doll pajamas over her head, Teresa walked over to her vanity and picking up a brush began to comb her hair. It was then that she saw Fox sitting on a tall wing backed chair in the corner of the room and the brush dropped from her nerveless fingers. Fox walked over to where she sat and picking up the brush from the floor began combing her dark tresses. When he was done he gently laid the brush on her dresser and spun her around to face him.

"Why Teresa? Why did you run from me?" he asked hoarsely. "Why did you leave Harmony without a word to anyone? Why did you leave _me_?" he rasped.


	6. Chapter 6

**You're getting two chapters in row because I didn't want to leave you all hanging. So please return the favor and leave me some nice reviews. Loads of smut; you've been warned.**

Chapter 6

Teresa's Condo

"Why did you run from me, Teresa? Why did you leave me? Why?" Fox asked her hoarsely, his brown eyes shiny with tears.

Teresa stared at him mutely, not knowing what to reply. She couldn't tell him the truth. He'd demand to know the name of the man who'd raped her and then all hell would break loose. And she couldn't tell him about Cody. He'd be furious with her for keeping her daughter's existence a secret and devastated when he realized Cody couldn't possibly be his child. She had to get rid of him and fast or she was going to do something stupid. And since the best defense was a good offense his affair with Whitney was as good of an excuse as any for her hasty departure.

"Why do you think I left Fox?" she replied coolly, grabbing her robe from the edge of the bed and slipping it on. "Did you thing I was going to hang around and watch you get it on with my best friend?"

"Teresa, I never cheated on you. Ever. You were my world. I wouldn't have risked our future for a fling with your supposed best friend. Whitney set me up; she admitted it after you had run off. I went by your house the next morning to explain things but you had already left town," Fox replied and staring into his eyes Teresa believed him.

It wouldn't have been the first time Whitney had made a move on a guy Teresa liked. She had always excused her friend's behavior but deep down she'd always known that Whitney was jealous of her.

"Baby, I love you. A night hasn't gone by in the last three years that I haven't dreamt about you. There were times that I could imagine you lying next to me and it was like I could smell you, taste you, feel you wrapped around me but then I'd wake up and realize you were gone and I was alone. Alone, empty, aching, wishing you were with me and angry with you for leaving me," he murmured walking over to her and framing her face with his hands. "I love you Resa, I've never stopped," he added raining soft kisses along her closed lids, her nose, her cheeks, her jaw, until he reached her lips.

Teresa let out a soft moan when their mouths fused together and she felt Fox's erection straining against her. It had been so long since she'd wanted to feel a man's body pressed against hers, so long since she'd ached to touch a man and to be touched in return, so damn long since she'd felt this _alive_.

"Fox," she protested knowing she should stop him. She was Nick's girlfriend and it wasn't fair to lead Fox on when she knew that their relationship was doomed to failure. And Nick didn't deserve her disloyalty. He had always been there when she needed him and he'd always treated her with respect.

"Fox, I can't do this. Too much has happened and we can't go back to the way things were," she told him but Fox ignored her protests and grabbing the tiny fists that were beating against his chest, he lifted them over her head, effectively trapping her against his hard body.

Tangling his hand in her dark hair, he slanted his mouth over hers and when her mouth opened under his, he deepened the kiss by slipping his tongue inside her mouth and tasting her. When she whimpered in his mouth he angled his head so he could continue making love to her mouth and slipped a hand under her top so he could cup her breasts. She felt so good in his arms and he wanted her so damn _bad_. If words couldn't convince her of his love maybe he could show her how he felt.

"Fox, please stop," she protested when his mouth left hers and he began trailing kisses down the delicate lobe of her ears, her neck, her collarbone until he'd reached her breasts. Trying to control her unruly emotions, Teresa tried once more to put a stop to his lovemaking but even as her mind cried no, her body responded to his wild caresses with abandon. When he bent his head and took one nipple in his mouth through the silk of her pajamas, Teresa felt a slow heat unfurl in her belly and she knew that she could no more stop the sun from rising in the morning than she could call a halt to Fox's lovemaking.

Giving in to the inevitable, Teresa sank into the kiss, reveling in the pleasure his hard hands evoked. Sensing her compliance Fox slowly lifted the silk pajamas over her head and when her breasts lay bare and lush before him he let out a soft moan of approval. Pressing her back against the mattress, he lingeringly suckled her nipples, savoring their sweetness as if he were sipping nectar from the gods and Teresa's throaty moans only served to arouse him further. Capturing her wandering hands so she wouldn't distract him thus ending things to quickly, Fox played with her breasts until her moans became soft pleas and then giving her what she wanted he began to nibble his way down her body, pressing light airy kisses on her flat tummy and then working his way to her satiny thighs. When he pressed his mouth to the dark curls that covered her femininity, Teresa let out a soft whimper and arched her hips against his. Fox continued to tease and stroke her wet center with his nimble tongue until Teresa was writhing beneath him.

When she could breathe again Teresa turned to Fox and smiling beguilingly, she hastily removed his gray sweatshirt and then unbuckled his jeans. When he was as nude as she, Teresa motioned for him to lie down and Fox eagerly complied. Dipping her head, Teresa flicked her tongue against his flat nipples, enjoying the effect she had on him. Wanting to torture him as he had tortured her, she worked her way down his body, teasing and stroking every hard inch of bared skin until she reached the hard male shaft that so ached for her touch. With slow, deliberate strokes she brought him to the edge of madness and when Fox could bear no more, he tangled his hands in her silky hair and yanked hard. Teresa looked up at him and smiled when she saw the raw hunger in his eyes. Cupping her soft bottom in his hard hands, Fox sat her astride him and Teresa shifted her hips so she could accommodate his hard length. Fox let her set the rhythm and Teresa rocked her hips back and forth, her every movement forcing him to sink deeper and deeper inside her. Finally, when neither of them could take anymore, Fox slipped a hand between them and stroking her secret place, he sent her over the edge before he let his own climax consume him.

A little while later, satisfied and replete, Fox pressed a kiss on her brow and sighed sleepily.

"I love you so much Teresa. I knew it would be like this between us if you'd only give in to your feelings," he murmured complacently.

"Fox I---" she began but the ringing of the phone interrupted them. Before she could get up to answer the machine picked up and they both heard Nick's gravelly voice.

"_Hey babe it's me. I just wanted to see if you got home safe. Call me back when you get the chance. I miss you_."

Knowing the mood was shattered and that she'd been left with no choice but to explain Teresa turned to Fox but one look into his hard, flinty eyes had her biting back her words.

"You bitch," he murmured.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N- Very mature sexual contents and language. You've been duly warned. Reviews always appreciated.

Chapter 7

"You bitch," Fox, murmured the words flying out of his mouth before he had processed them in his mind.

He hadn't meant to be so harsh with Teresa, but that phone call had rattled him. Bozman had made it pretty clear earlier that Teresa belonged to him but he hadn't wanted to believe it. He had been so sure of Teresa's love for him that he hadn't considered the possibility that she might have moved on and knowing that while he had been dreaming of a reunion she had been shacking up with Bozman made his so mad he could spit.

A flustered Teresa watched helplessly as Fox tore about the room searching for his missing clothes. There was so much she wanted to say, so many things she wanted to explain, but the anger prevalent in his demeanor terrified her and rendered her silent. She knew how hot-tempered Fox could be and there was no point talking to him when he was in one of his moods. Resigned, she rose gracefully and feeling self-conscious she hastily slipped on her robe.

While Fox dressed, Teresa walked over to the door and leaned negligently against it, waiting for him to cool down. When he had finished dressing, she walked over to him and patted him lightly on the arm. The thunderous expression on his face had her taking a step back.

"Don't touch me," he murmured through clenched teeth and Teresa hastily dropped her hand. "The sight of you makes me sick. I can't believe I've spent so much time looking for you when you've been shacking up with Bozman the entire time. Is he the real reason you left Teresa? Were you cheating on me with Nick and decided that being Mrs. Nicholas Crane would be too tedious? Was being Bozman's whore more appealing?" he spat out.

Feeling as though Fox's words had slapped her in the face, Teresa averted her gaze. "Fox, please----, please let me explain," she entreated quietly as she hugged herself in a dire attempt for strength.

Fox laughed bitterly, the sound ringing harshly in Teresa's ears. "Yeah, sure, go ahead Teresa. Go ahead and explain how you left me to be with that son of a bitch, tell me that you haven't been spreading your thighs for that bastard behind my back, convince me that you're still the sweet, innocent girl I fell in love with," he replied cruelly and Teresa's eyes filled with tears at his harsh words.

"I'm not a whore," she replied evenly trying to control her own temper for she knew that Fox's cruel words were only a result of his anger.

"Really?' he drawled. "It's been my experience that if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it is a duck," he added letting his eyes roam over her body insultingly.

Teresa's eyes flashed fire and without stopping to think she raised her palm and slapped him hard across the face.

"Wanna play rough, sweet cakes? I can accommodate you," he told her, gripping her arms forcefully and pressing her tightly against him.

"Fox, you're hurting me, let go," Teresa whispered but Fox only laughed and the sudden glint in his eyes had Teresa struggling to be free of him in earnest.

"Relax babe, you're going to enjoy this," he promised, tangling his hands in her hair and gently biting the lope of her ear. A shiver of awareness raced over her spine and Teresa was horrified to realize that she was becoming aroused.

Fox's hands skimmed over her back and his hands hastily slipped under her robe to cup her breasts. Wanting to see the bare flesh that he stroked, Fox grabbed the lapels of her robe and ripped it in half. Before Teresa could protest, he backed her against the refurbished armoire and cupping her face with his palms, captured her mouth in a savage kiss as he pressed himself roughly against her.

The feel and weight of him pressed against her had a slow heat unfurling in her belly and without conscious though, Teresa's eyes fluttered close and her hands hastily unbuttoning his shirt so she could feel his warm skin under her hands.

"Tell me you want me Teresa," Fox murmured grittily as he roughly fondled her breasts.

Teresa let out a soft moan as she caressed his bare chest and her mouth opened on a moan.

"I want you Fox," Teresa replied dutifully.

"Tell me you want _this_," he commanded grabbing a dainty hand and pressing it against part of him that ached for her touch. "Say Fox I want you to f---k me," he gritted out and Teresa's eyes widened for Fox had never been so blunt with her.

"No," she murmured trying to elude his hold but Fox wouldn't let her go and with a feral grin he slipped a hand inside her wet warmth, stroking her soft folds with calculated ease.

When she moaned into his mouth, Fox laughed and continued to stroke her until Teresa was aching for release.

"Fox please," she begged mindlessly.

"Please what Resa? If you want to come you have to say the words," he told her and with a hard smile he withdrew his fingers, leaving Teresa empty once again.

"Please make love to me," she whispered but Fox shook his head.

"That's not what I asked you to say babe. Tell me what I want to hear and I'll give you what you want," he promised wolfishly.

Teresa stared at him uncertainly, not liking the hard glitter in his eyes. Fox was enjoying having her beg him, he was enjoying having her at his mercy and his hard smile brought back awful memories of the night she had been raped by a man she had loved and respected as a surrogate father.

"No," she sobbed. "Leave me alone," she cried beating her tiny fists against his hard chest and trying without success to elude his embrace.

But Fox would not be swayed and with a savage grin he pushed her back so she fell to the lushly carpeted floor and before she could recover he had settled himself against her. His hard hands stroked her satiny skin with ferocity, leaving marks on her soft flesh and Teresa's cries became harsh sobs as past and present combined and became an indistinct mix of emotions and memories and she was suddenly transported back to that rainy night that had forever altered her life.

"_Please, let me go, let me go," Teresa screamed at her captor, kicking and clawing as she tried to save herself from the horror that awaited her. Raising one knee the way she had been taught in self-defense she tried to kick him in the groin but he anticipated her move and managed to side step it. Knowing what would happen if she didn't fight; she made herself go limp in his arms and when he pulled her to hard ground she clawed at his face with one hand as she kicked his groin with her left knee. When he whimpered, she scrambled to her feet and ran as fast as she could._

_"Don't look back, don't look back. Run, just run as fast as you can," her mind screamed and Teresa tried to comply but before she could make it too far she felt her attacker pull her roughly against him._

_"Stupid bitch, did you really think you'd get away," he murmured and then backhanded her with such force that she fell to the floor in a dead faint._

_When she awakened she felt him pulling at her clothes and the night air felt cool against her bare skin. She could feel the hard bulge of his arousal pressing against her thighs and his hard hands roughly pawing her breasts and she wanted to vomit. When he tangled his hands in her hair and forced his mouth down on hers, the smell of the whiskey on his breath made her nauseas and a small moan escaped her lips._

_"Like that do you?" her tormentor whispered forcing his tongue inside her mouth as he continued to maul her breasts and Teresa let out a horrified gasp as she recognized her rapist._

_"Don't do this, please don't do this," she begged trying to appeal to the conscience of the man she had always considered a surrogate parent, the man who'd taken her to her first softball game and who had taught her how to climb trees and how to throw a football. _

_Her rapist stared at her from cornflower blue eyes and smiled._

_"You're so beautiful," he murmured and the look in his eyes terrified her even more than before. "And now you're going to be mine," he told her, laughing when she continued to fight._

_"I like a woman with fire and you certainly are feisty. He said you'd fight, that you'd defend your virtue like a mama bear defends her cubs. But that won't matter cause you are going to be mine. I've waited a long time for this night and now that I have you I don't mean to let you go," he told her and Teresa stared at him with disgust._

_"I will never be yours, never," she spat out, clenching her hands and raking her nails down his lean face._

_The man laughed again and slapped her hard across the face. "Bitch," he murmured.  
"Go ahead and fight kitten, I enjoy taming shrews," he informed her and Teresa began kicking and clawing at him like a wild animal._

_Her captor simply laughed and waited for her to tire herself out. When Teresa lay limp under his weight, he captured her hands with his and hastily undid his trousers and, Teresa squeezed her eyes shut, praying that someone would come rescue her. _

_"Fox, help me, you promised you'd always be by my side, help me," she screamed, tears seeping down her cheeks but there was no one to hear her pleas_

_When her captor thrust himself roughly inside her, Teresa let out a loud wail that came from the depth of her soul; the tears that fell down her cheeks a silent testimony to the horror that had befallen her_

"Please Fox, help me, you promised that you'd always be by my side, don't let him hurt me," Teresa cried and Fox's movements stilled above her.

Staring into Teresa's eyes Fox realized that something was terribly wrong. Teresa's dark eyes were glassy with tears, her face was pale in the lamplight and her body was taut with tension. With growing horror he realized that it wasn't passion that held Teresa enthralled it was fear, she had been fighting him in earnest and he had been too angry to realize it. Disgust filled his stomach as he acknowledged to himself that he had almost _raped_ the woman he loved.

Her silent sobs echoed about the room and rang in his ears with the intensity of a freight train. Muttering a soft curse to himself he reached out to her.

"Resa," he murmured softly, flinching when she evaded his touch, curled herself into a corner and covered her face with her hands.

Fox sighed and watched her, his beautiful Teresa, curled in the fetal position, sobbing in pain and heartache.

"Resa..." he whispered again trying once more to take her in his arms.

This time Teresa accepted the embrace but her eyes remained glazed and he knew that she wasn't seeing him, that she was lost in a memory of the past.

Fox stroked her hair as she continued sobbing in his arms. "What's wrong?" he pleaded with her. "Tell me...please..." he begged. But she was beyond hearing.

"Fox..." her pleas this time were soft and desperate and filled with a sense of hopelessness and grief. "You promised me...you promised..." Fox swallowed the lump in his throat and pushed back her hair "Help me...please...don't let him hurt me...you let him hurt me..."

"Baby, tell me what's wrong?" he pleaded but Teresa shook her head and continued crying.

"You promised me Fox, you promised you'd always be there when I needed you but you weren't. I begged you to help me and you didn't. You weren't there when I needed you the most," she told him and Fox felt the weight of his failure settle on his shoulders.

He had _failed_ Teresa. Somehow he'd failed her and he didn't know if she would ever be able to forgive him.'


	8. Chapter 8

A/N- I have a couple more chapters posted but I shan't post them till I get a few more reviews. Enjoy this chapter and please remember reviews are always adored.

Chapter 8

Fox..." her pleas this time were soft and desperate and filled with a sense of hopelessness and grief. "You promised me...you promised..." Fox swallowed the lump in his throat and pushed back her hair "help me...please...don't let him hurt me...you let him hurt me..."

"Who hurt you baby? Who was it?" Fox asked her gently, tenderly wiping the tears from her eyes but Teresa was too dazed to answer him coherently and feeling as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders, Fox scooped her up in his arms and settled her on the bed, wrapping the heavy comforter around her when she began to shiver.

When she had stopped trembling and her eyes had lost that glassy look, he tilted her chin upward and asked her the question that had been burning in his mind for the last half hour.

"Who was it Teresa? Who was the man who raped you?"

Harmony Maine

The man walked into the office with a swagger, his hands calm and a smile curving his mouth but his eyes were wild with fright and his heart pounded a thousand beats a minute.

The gray haired gentleman waiting for him held a glass of whiskey in one hand and an envelope in the other. When he got closer he saw that the envelope contained some pictures and his blood froze when he saw the smiling faces of his wife and daughters.

Sweat broke out on his forehead and his stomach clenched with fear for he knew exactly what the photos meant and it was with trembling hands that he looked up into the cold eyes of the man who held his future in his hands.

"Mr. Crane, please don't hurt them. I've kept up my end of the bargain," he stammered disgusted with himself for begging like a frightened puppy but his pride was a small price to pay for his family's well being. If anything happened to them, he didn't think he'd survive it.

"I have to admit that you've been useful but you have a black mark against you Bennett. You let Teresa get away that night and my orders were quite specific weren't they?" Alistair murmured.

The man licked his lips nervously, his mouth was dry as sandpaper and he had to swallow a few times before he could speak.

"Mr. Crane I couldn't kill her…what I did was bad enough…I couldn't kill her…" he replied, cowering when Alistair walked around his desk and grabbed him forcefully by the arms.

"Shut up, you pansy faced weasel and listen carefully to what I'm going to tell you. Teresa is a threat to everything I hold dear and if you don't do as I say I will be sure to reveal to the press that your obsession with a girl who respected and admired you led to her brutal rape. What will your dear wife think of you then Bennett? You will not only lose your family you will lose your job and the respect of the entire community. And who knows what else could happen?" Alistair whispered silkily and the man swallowed hard as endless possibilities raced through his mind.

His wife would be devastated if she found out the truth and he couldn't bear to think of his sweet, perfect wife looking at him with scorn and derision but just remembering the scent and taste of Teresa's silky skin and the way she'd fought him like a temptress had him hardening in his pants. She'd been so tight, so fiery he had thought he'd explode before coming. Her resistance had only excited him and despite the time that had passed he could remember every moment of that night in vivid detail.

I understand Mr. Crane," the fair-haired man replied feeling powerless and small under Crane's gaze, and Alistair grinned motioning for him to sit down.

When he walked out of Alistair's office a few minutes later his face was green and he almost ran over the receptionist in his haste to get to the bathroom.

Once inside he threw up his lunch and as he washed his face, he cursed himself for having let his greed and his twisted obsession with Teresa get the best of him but damned if he wouldn't do it all over again for that night had been the best of his life.

Harmony P.D

The blond haired man flipped through the open files on his desk making sure none of the officers still hanging around could see what he was doing. He didn't want anyone to know that he was investigating his own brother but his gut had warned him that something was terribly wrong and the papers in front of him simply confirmed his suspicions.

"How could you have done something so monstrous?" he whispered, closing his eyes and wishing the file in front of him would magically disappear. "_When did you sell your soul to the devil bro_?" he wondered dazedly recalling that when they were children it had been his brother who always made sure everyone followed the rules and walked the straight and narrow and now….

"Now he's turned his back on everything he taught me," he murmured, tears falling from his eyes as the sheer magnitude of his brother's folly hit him. So many lives were going to be destroyed when the sht hit the fan, among them the lives of his family and his closest friends. The ringing of his cell phone interrupted his thoughts and when he saw the number on the caller I.D he cursed his dumb luck.

"What do you want Crane?" he asked, in no mood to talk to the Crane patriarch.

"Well, I have recently come into possession of some very useful information and if you want to keep your dirty little secrets you will meet me in my office in an hour. And don't forget that I still have that dossier on you, we wouldn't want your brother to find out about it would we?" Alistair asked conversationally.

His heart stopped. He nearly had forgotten about it. It had been so long since the rich SOB had levied it over his head and as he recalled the information in that file he cursed before hanging up the phone.

"Damn, there no point in thinking about it now for I've got bigger worries," the man murmured. "When Luis figures out what my brother did to his sister he's going to wipe the floor with him, friend or not," he murmured with a grimace. "I almost feel sorry for the bastard," he added shoving back his chair and looking at the files again before stuffing them in his briefcase. Almost

Teresa's condo…

"Babe tell me who it was," Fox begged. "Who hurt you?" he asked Teresa urgently, trying to garner his patience.

"He won't go away, he just won't leave me alone," Teresa moaned shaking her head in a futile attempt to rid herself of the dreadful memories that bombarded her dreams and had turned her life into a waking nightmare. "No mater what I do he's always there," she whispered and Fox felt his heart break at the desolation etched clearly on her face.

"_When I get my hands on that bastard he's going to wish he'd never been born_," Fox thought.

"Teresa, tell me who it was? Who was the man who raped you?" Fox asked again.

Teresa flinched at the word "rape" as a sickening feeling anchored itself in the pit of her stomach. Pulling away from Fox's gentle grasp, she turned away stiffly. Her mouth opened slightly but as the words were about to tumble out she remembered the man's hissed warning and snapped her mouth shut. "_I can't tell him. I can't. He warned me that if I opened my mouth he'd hurt my family and I can't risk that_," she thought.

"No one Fox, no one raped me," she muttered woodenly and Fox blinked at the sudden change in her tone. "Look, it's been a long night and I'm tired. Please leave."

"Teresa," he began but she cut him off before he could continue.

"Please Fox, just go. What happened tonight was a mistake. I have a comfortable life here in San Francisco and I have no intention of returning to Harmony. Ever," she told him closing her eyes wearily and praying he'd leave so she could collapse.

Noticing the fatigue carved on her face Fox decided to do as she asked and with a heart-felt sigh he picked up his jacket and strode to the door.

"I'm not going to let this drop Resa. Something just doesn't add up and I'm not going to stop digging till I get to the truth," he warned and Teresa nodded.

"Go," she whispered.

Just then the lusty cry of a toddler wailed through the air and Fox stared at Teresa uncomprehendingly.

"Oh God," Teresa murmured.


	9. Chapter 9

**A-N- It's been a long time between updates but I have a great excuse-my two month old daughter Alessandra. Hope you all enjoy this chapter. I have finished writing the story so the more reviews I get the faster I shall post them.**

Chapter 9

"Mama, mama," the dark haired toddler wailed as she sailed into the room on chubby legs. "Up mama up," Cody demanded pleased with herself for having escaped the confinement of her crib and having made her way to her mother's room alone.

"What's your name beautiful?" Fox asked, kneeling beside the toddler and reaching out to push a strand of her silky dark hair out of her face.

He was thoroughly charmed by the raven haired child. Her resemblance to Teresa was amazing. Cody had inherited her mother's lustrous dark hair, soft pouty mouth, and olive tinted skin. Even their eyes were slanted the same way but while Teresa's were a deep, velvety brown Cody's were a deep indigo.

"I Cody. What's your name?" the child replied peeking at Fox through her lashes and offering him an angelic smile.

"It's nice to meet you Cody, my name is Nicholas but my friends call me Fox," he murmured and Cody giggled.

"Fox is a funny name," she told him adding "I have an uncle named Nick...can I call you Nicky?"

Fox's eyes narrowed at the reminder that Teresa had another man in her life but he smiled easily at Cody and nodded.

"Sweetie, climb into my bed and go back to sleep," Teresa interrupted and Cody's eyes widened at the unexpected pleasure of being allowed to spend the night with her mother.

"Ok Mama. Night Nicky," she mumbled sleepily climbing on the bed and crawling under the covers.

"Night beautiful," Fox murmured following Teresa out the door.

"Is she mine?" he asked quietly when they were alone.

Club Azure

"Damn Crane, I won't let him steal Teresa from me," he vowed his black eyes glittering with rage.

He had driven to Teresa's condo shortly after closing the club and when no one had answered the door he had let himself in with the key Teresa had given him months before completely unaware of the fact that his beautiful Teresa was presently occupied with her former lover. He had been devastated to find the pair in bed and he'd been tempted to make a scene but the knowledge that doing so could permanently cost him the only woman he'd ever loved detained him.

Slipping out as silently as he'd slipped in he'd driven back to the club and in a blinding rage had proceeded to thoroughly trash his office. Abruptly reaching for the phone on his desk he dialed a familiar number and waited impatiently for the wily old bastard to pick up.

"We've got a problem," he murmured curtly and the old man laughed.

"It seems to me that the problem is yours my boy. I paid you to keep Teresa occupied didn't I? Are you so lousy in bed she had to find satisfaction elsewhere Nick?"

"I've kept up my end of the bargain Alistair. You're the one who allowed Fox to find her," Nick shot back extremely pleased when the fat old bastard remained silent. "Don't worry old man, I will never let Fox and Teresa reunite. Teresa belongs to me and no one gets the best of Nick Bozman. Ever," he promised and Alistair grinned with satisfaction.

"See to it that you keep your word Bozman. I'd be very upset if my grandson married that Mexican bitch. I have other plans for my one and only heir," Alistair replied before hanging up.

"As do I Alistair, as do I," Nick whispered walking over to the mini bar and pouring himself a drink.

He might have accepted money from Alistair to date Teresa but somewhere along the way he had truly fallen for her and he wasn't about to give her up now.

"Tell me the truth Teresa. Is she mine?" Fox demanded.

"Cody isn't your child Fox. My God do you really think I'd have run away from you if she had been yours?" Teresa screamed back.

"Since you haven't explained why you ran away in the first place I can't be certain can I?" Fox retorted sarcastically and Teresa winced.

"I'm sorry Resa. I have no right to be upset with you. It's been three years since you left Harmony and I had no right to expect you to remain faithful to me in all that time. Especially since you thought I had cheated on you with Whitney. Forgive me," he beseeched and Teresa eyes widened with surprise at his admission.

"Fox, I---" she mumbled but Fox pressed a finger to her mouth and gently shook his head.

"Resa, I know I haven't handled things well and I have so many questions but it's late and we're both exhausted. Let's have breakfast later and discuss this like two rational adults," he asked and Teresa nodded.

"I love you Resa. No matter what happens never forget that," he whispered pressing a soft kiss on her mouth before letting himself out.

"Oh Fox I love you too."

As Fox made his way back to his car, he was too preoccupied to notice the two burly men leaning against the brick walls of Teresa's complex and was taken completely by surprise when he was shoved against the hood of his car and kicked viciously in the groin.

"Take the car. The keys are in my pocket. And I have a couple of hundred in my wallet," he mumbled through the blinding haze.

"We don't want your money Crane. We just came to deliver a message. Stay away from the boss's woman or it's going to cost you," one of the men mumbled delivering a mind-numbing blow to his midsection.

Fox's eyes widened with surprise but before he could utter another word he was shoved to the ground and beaten within an inch of his life. Fox struggled and tried to defend himself but the thugs were stronger than him and finally he felt himself black out. When he awakened the thugs were gone but he was too weak to stand up by himself and so he let himself drift back into unconsciousness praying someone would find him before it was too late.

"It's done?" Nick whispered when his cell phone rang a few minutes later and a pleased smile curved his hard mouth when the voice on the other end of the phone confirmed his suspicion. "Drop by my office in the morning to get your money. You both earned every penny," he ordered before hanging up.

"That ought to teach you to mess with me Crane," he murmured with lethal satisfaction his dark eyes gleaming with triumph. "Now all I have to do is pretend I know nothing about Teresa's little indiscretion and all should be well," he added reaching for his decanter of brandy and pouring himself another shot.

"To a job well done," he toasted.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N- See, I'm keeping my promises. You guys review I will update daily. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.**

**Chapter 10**

**San Francisco, California**

"Ivy, he's going to be ok. He has to be," Julian told his wife, awkwardly trying to pat her on the back.

"Don't patronize me Julian. I'm not one of your blond bimbos. Our son was beaten to a bloody pulp and left for dead and chances are he...he...he won't make it through the night," Ivy replied testily, breaking down in tears as the reality of the situation sank in.

"God we've been such terrible parents to him Julian and if he doesn't make it I'll never have the chance to tell him how much I love him," she cried.

"Fox is a lot stronger than he looks. He won't give up without a fight. We just have to have faith," Julian answered with a confident smile and Ivy wiped her tears with one hand.

"I pray you're right," she murmured. "Because I can't bare thinking of the alternative," she admitted laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

Just then the doctor appeared and as they looked into his eyes, Julian and Ivy realized that Fox's condition was more critical than they'd thought.

--------------------

Fox slipped in and out of consciousness, his entire body consumed with so much pain he thought he was going to die. He heard voices whispering above him begging him to fight for his life but the one voice he longed to hear was curiously absent and finally tired of fighting he let the inky blackness envelop him.

_"Daddy, Daddy, Cody won't give me a turn on the swing," Michelle cried, running over to her father and wrapping her arms around his legs._

Fox sighed and prayed for patience. Michelle and Cody had been fighting all morning and Fox was at his wits end trying to keep the peace.

"How do you do it Teresa?" he asked himself praying his wife returned from her business trip soon. The girls were literally driving him bonkers.

"Cody Nicole Crane..." Fox called out and Cody let out a huge sigh.

"Daddy I've only been on the swing for five minutes," Cody complained as she jumped off and made her way over to where her sister and father stood.

"Nuh uh. She's been on forever," Michelle insisted.

"I have not, fish brain," Cody replied.

"Daddy, Cody called me a bad name," Michelle tattled.

"Fish brain, fish brain, fish brain," Cody sang.

"Cody stop calling your sister names," Fox commanded mildly. "How bout you both change into your swim suits and we all take a dip in the pool?" he added when the girls continued sniping at each other.

"Can we play shark?" Michelle asked with a grin and Fox nodded.

"Can I be the shark?" an amused female voice called out and three startled faces turned to see Teresa lounging against the patio doors.

"Mommy, mommy," the girls shrieked hurling their sturdy bodies against Teresa's slender frame.

"We've missed you Mommy," Michelle cried and Cody shook her head enthusiastically.

"Daddy missed you too," Fox murmured wrapping one arm around Teresa and pressing a soft kiss on her mouth.

Teresa smiled up at him and mouthed the words "I love you," before turning her attention back to her girls.

"Last one in the house is a rotten egg," she called out sprinting into a run.

The girls followed closely behind her and their laughter brought a smile to Fox's face.

Life couldn't get any more perfect.

--------------------

A frustrated Teresa kicked off her high heels, flexed her toes, and padded over to her living room in her bare feet. Stretching out on her couch she tied her dark hair into a loose ponytail and willed herself to relax. Her entire body hummed with frustration and anger and she knew that when she found Fox she was going to give him a piece of her mind. No one stood her up...and most notably not the man who'd broken her heart into tiny little pieces. But for now...she needed to wind down.

Absently turning on the television, she flicked through the channels until she came to a local news station and her dark eyes widened in horror when the bulletin flashed a picture of Fox.

"Oh my God," Teresa cried when the grim face newsman reported that Fox had been badly beaten and left for dead in front of a residential building and Teresa realized with horror that Fox had been assaulted shortly after leaving her apartment the night before.

"Lord please let him be alright," she prayed snatching up her purse and running out the door. "Por favor Senor, don't let him die. I need him too much," she murmured.

The ride to the hospital was the longest of her life and she was crying openly when she made her way to the nurse's station.

"I'm here to see Fox Crane. I'm his fiancée," Teresa told the plump woman behind the desk.

"Last time I checked, I was Fox's fiancée," a sardonic voice murmured behind her and Teresa turned to see her ex best friend, Whitney Russell standing behind her.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N- A big thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. I really appreciate it. I will be wrapping up this story shortly-only a few more chapters left before the Grand Finale-The more reviews I get the faster I will update.**

**THEROX4EVER03- I did have this story posted on RnA's. Unfortunately due to a major misunderstanding the board was deleted;our posts and stories included. There is a backup board but you might have to re-register. If you leave me your email, I will send you the link. For some reason, I'm not able to post it here.**

Chapter 11

_"Hello my dear, I've been expecting you," the gray haired man murmured as a despondent Whitney walked in. _

_"How the hell did you get in here Mr. Crane?" Whitney replied dumbfounded._

_"That's not important my dear. Recognize this?" he asked holding up a glossy eight by eight photo of a completely naked Whitney and a petite redhead with big tits fondling and caressing the sandy haired beefcake lying between them._

_Whitney blanched and swallowed hard. The urge to throw up was so overwhelming she nearly did so right then and there but she held back through sheer force of will for she refused to give Alistair the satisfaction. Raising her head slightly she moistened her suddenly dry lips and stared Alistair in the face._

_"What do you want?" she asked softly._

_Alistair grinned and lightly stroked her hair, pressing her hard against him so she could feel his bulging erection against her backside._

_Whitney trembled with revulsion at his touch but didn't move. She didn't dare for she was in his hands and they both knew it. If her father ever saw those photos he'd disown her and she'd really be all alone._

_"What do you want Alistair?" she asked again, this time with less confidence._

_"Well first, I want this," Alistair replied sliding a fat hand under her skirt and intimately caressing her softness._

_A low moan escaped her lips as Alistair's talented fingers furiously stroked her feminine center and despite her fear and revulsion Whitney felt herself get wet. When Alistair pushed her down on the ground and settled his heavy frame against hers she made no protest._

_Minutes later Alistair collapsed on top of her, his breathing shallow and fast and Whitney felt tears of shame scald her eyes for despite her terror and disdain she had enjoyed Alistair's prowess._

_Alistair watched her from narrowed eyes, amused at her reaction but his expression remained blank. Glancing at his watch he saw it was a quarter past eight and almost cursed under his breath as he realized he had delayed things too much already. Dropping the stack of revealing photos in Whitney's lap, he stalked to the door and then turned back to stare at the raven haired beauty._

_"As good as you were my dear, that wasn't the primary reason for my visit. Nicholas and Teresa are getting too close and I can't have my only heir marrying beneath himself. See to it that they're separated by the end of the month Whitney or I will have to reveal all the seedy details of your private life to your adoring father. Do I make myself clear?" he asked in a hard voice and Whitney nodded._

_"To show you that I'm not an unreasonable man I will wire some money into your account. See to it that you keep your end of the bargain my dear. I don't tolerate incompetence," Alistair added before letting himself out._

"You lying bitch," a livid Teresa pronounced, snapping Whitney out of her reverie. "There's no way I will believe that you are Fox's fiancée Whitney so you might as well drop the pretense now," Teresa added her dark eyes snapping furiously and her petite frame shaking from the force of her anger.

"Seeing is believing Teresa." Whitney replied, extending her left hand so Teresa could see the opulent diamond gracing her ring finger.

Teresa felt herself pale as she glanced at the gaudy ring but the memory of Fox's words, of the tender way he had made love to her sustained her. Fox had sworn to her that he and Whitney had never been involved, that she had tricked him and she believed him. This was just another of Whitney's tricks.

"Fox's taste doesn't run to the gaudy or the crass," she replied giving Whitney a scathing once over.

Her childhood friend was dressed in a bright orange silk top and skintight denim jeans in a midnight blue. Her curly hair framed her heart shaped face in a riot of curls that resembled a rat's nest and her makeup was as flamboyant as the rest of her. She looked like a ten cent whore and Teresa felt her stomach recoil in revulsion as she glanced at her.

"You uppity bitch, who the hell do you think you are?" Whitney screamed when the meaning of Teresa's words sank in and before the smaller woman could react, Whitney slapped her with all the hatred in her heart.

Teresa's eyes narrowed and with a sound of fury she launched herself against Whitney, knocking her to the ground and repeatedly slamming her head against the cool tiles.

"You...bitch...I won't let you...ruin...what I have...with Fox..." Teresa ground out.

"You crazy bitch...you just can't handle the fact that Fox prefers me to you," Whitney replied breathlessly as she tried to defect Teresa's blows.

"You're the one who's deluded if you believe that," Teresa snapped back, the red mist surrounding her vision fading as she realized she was brawling like a street hooker in a hospital when all of her attention should be focused on Fox.

The slight moment of distraction allowed Whitney to push Teresa off her and stumble to her feet.

"I want her arrested for assault," she yelled when she had regained her equilibrium. "She tried to kill me," she added in a whiny voice when no one paid her the slightest mind.

"With just cause," Ivy murmured under her breath. "Julian go get Teresa a bag of ice while I take Whitney to a nurse so she can get patched up," she instructed her husband and Julian winked at Teresa before hastily turning to do as he had been bidden.

"Teresa, Fox is in room 204," Ivy added as she prodded Whitney, none too gently towards the nurse's station.

"You bitch, you won't get away with this," Whitney shouted back but Teresa ignored her hysterics and made her way to Fox's room.

"Oh baby," she murmured when she saw Fox lying on the bed, his face purplish and blue and his head swathed in bandages. "Who could have done this to you?" she whispered seating herself next to the bed and laying her head on his chest.

"Fox, I can't lose you again...not when we were just about to work things out...please come back to me...please," Teresa pleaded, her eyes overflowing with tears. "I need you so much Fox, if you die my life will be so empty. Don't leave me alone again. You promised to always be there for me. I can't make it without you," she whispered but Fox's body remained mobile and impassive.

Unwilling to concede defeat Teresa spent the next few hours alternately pleading with Fox to recover and threatening him with mayhem if he failed to do as she ordered. Finally as utter exhaustion overwhelmed her, she sunk into a deep slumber and only the pressure of a hand at her backside awakened her.

"Fox?" she murmured disoriented but glancing up at the furious face of her lover, Teresa felt her face pale.

"Nick," she rasped.

"The plan failed Alistair, Teresa didn't believe me when I claimed to be Fox's fiancée and after demonstrating her point by beating the shit out of me, your dear daughter in law escorted me to a nurse's station and warned me not to approach Fox's room again. Now what do I do?" Whitney whined nervously and Alistair let out a frustrated sigh.

Nothing had been working in his favor lately and that made him very nervous.

Pouring himself a snifter of whiskey he swallowed the fiery liquid in an attempt to control his nerves. His instincts were shouting that things were going to get worse for him before they got better and he hated feeling trapped.

"I won't let that little slut win. Fox is destined for finer things and Tacosita is an impediment to my future plans. And if she won't be manipulated into doing what I want then I will have to use brute force. But one way or another I'm going to get what I want. Alistair Crane never loses," he murmured fiercely, nearly crushing the glass from the force of his hatred towards Teresa.

She was the only Lopez-Fitzgerald who refused to cower in front of him and her pride alone had won his antipathy and dislike. But when she had sunk her claws into Foxworth and the boy had begun to defy him that had been intolerable. And so he had set out to destroy the object of his wrath. First by having Whitney manipulate Teresa into believing Fox had cheated on her and then by ordering Sam to rape her. But if the little bitch wanted to play hardball, he had another ace up his sleeve. And her name was Cody.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N- Kim and Olivia, thanks for your lovely reviews. It seems you two are the only two reading this story. I am glad you are enjoying it.**

Chapter 12

"Fox, I can't lose you again...not when we were just about to work things out...please come back to me...please," Teresa pleaded, her eyes overflowing with tears. "I need you so much Fox; if you die my life will be so empty. Don't leave me alone again. You promised to always be there for me. I can't make it without you," she whispered hoping against hope that her pleas would elicit any sort of response but Fox's body remained mobile and impassive.

Unwilling to concede defeat Teresa spent the next few hours alternately pleading with Fox to recover and threatening him with mayhem if he failed to do as she ordered. Finally as utter exhaustion overwhelmed her, she sunk into a deep slumber and only the pressure of a hand at her backside awakened her.

"Fox?" she murmured disoriented but as she glanced at the face of her lover she felt her face pale.

"Nick," Teresa whispered. Not wanting to cause a scene in front of Fox, she motioned for him to follow her outside.

Once they were alone, Teresa waited for Nick to explain his presence but when he remained mute she stared at him perplexed. Noticing his rumpled appearance for the first time Teresa began to get nervous.

"Nick, what's the matter?" Teresa asked worriedly. "Has something happened to Cody," she yelled.

"Teresa…I…damn there's no easy way to say this," he began.

"To say what? Just spit it out Nick," Teresa ordered.

"Teresa, I stopped by your apartment to see if you and Cody were free for breakfast and when I got there I…I found the apartment in shambles…Aubrey lay on the floor unconscious and bleeding and…and Cody was nowhere to be seen. It's as if she disappeared into thin air."

"Nooooo…nooooo…nooooo" Teresa cried. "She couldn't have just disappeared. We have to find her Nick, we have to find my baby," she shouted, emphasizing her statement by pounding her tiny fists on Nick's chest.

As massive sobs shook her frame, Teresa fell to the floor in despair. A nurse standing at her station, upon hearing the commotion, rushed over to see what was going on.

"Miss, you have to calm down, you're going to scare the other patients," she admonished.

"Lay off will you?" an impatient Nick snarled. "She's just found out her daughter's disappeared."

Turning back to a still hysterical Teresa, Nick enveloped her in his arms and helped her to her feet.

"Baby, it's going to be alright, we're going to find her" he murmured reassuringly.

When Teresa turned tear filled brown eyes to him, he smiled and gently stroked her cheek.

"But now you have to pull yourself together because we have to get down to the police station to file a missing person's report. Aubrey was already questioned and the police have already begun investigating," he explained as he guided her towards the elevators.

A dazed Teresa allowed Nick to guide her docilely, lost in her own thoughts. Prayers jumbled in her head, supplication on her lips as she begged whatever God chose to be most merciful to protect her daughter.

Another part of town…

The fair haired man trembled as he watched the raven haired child sleep. His orders had been extremely precise and though he had carried them out to perfection, he now quivered with nerves.

The shrill ringing of his cell phone shook him out of his reverie and he picked it up with shaking hands.

"Bennett," he answered curtly, the butterflies in his stomach making his deep voice even huskier.

"Did everything go as planned?" Alistair Crane asked and Sam frantically nodded his head before he remembered that Alistair couldn't see him.

"Yes sir. Everything went off without a hitch," Sam replied after a few seconds.

"Good. Stay put and await further instructions," Alistair ordered curtly before disconnecting the call.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Sam tossed the phone on the table next to him and ran a hand through his hair. Feeling sick to his stomach, he sat down at the edge of the narrow bed and continued to keep vigil over the little girl that rested there peacefully. A bitter smile curving his mouth he briefly wondered if God would listen to the prayers of a man who had sold his soul to the devil.

Harmony Maine

Pilar Lopez Fitzgerald hummed quietly to herself as she finished the preparations for dinner. The chicken she had marinated earlier with lime juice and sweet mangoes was sizzling on the grill, alongside the tender corn on the cob and red skinned potatoes. Fresh warm rolls drizzled with butter and a green salad topped with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, onions, and grated parmesan cheese rounded out the meal.

Knowing the meal would be ready in minutes Pilar walked to the dining room to set the table. Even after all this time she couldn't get used to the silent meals. The children had always been so loud and rambunctious and had kept things around the house so lively. A sigh escaped her as she thought of all the meals her family had shared at this very table.

"I miss them too honey," Martin Fitzgerald whispered to his wife as he came up behind her and enfolded her in his arms.

"I know children are meant to live their own lives Martin but sometimes I miss the way things used to be."

What she couldn't put into words was how much she missed her Teresa. Though she loved all her children and would have given her life for any of them Teresa had always been her favorite; in spite of the scrapes she was fond of getting into. Teresa's disappearance had nearly killed her. Not a day passed by that she didn't light a candle and pray for her beloved daughter to come home safely.

Something tingled at the back of her neck and Pilar rolled her shoulders trying to ignore it but the feeling that something was terribly wrong wouldn't disappear.

"Pilar, is something the matter?" Martin asked his wife when he saw how pale she had become.

"I don't know Martin. I just had the strangest feeling that something was terribly wrong…with one of the children," Pilar remarked, closing her eyes and murmuring a brief prayer.

Making a sign of the cross Pilar walked over to the windowsill in the kitchen and reached for the vanilla and jasmine scented candle she lighted almost every night. Striking a match, she once again prayed for the Blessed Mother to bless her children. But most specifically she prayed for the Virgin to bless her Teresita. Wherever she happened to be.

The shrill ringing of the telephone interrupted and Pilar lifted the receiver with trembling hands. Her instincts warned her that the person on the other end of the line wasn't about to impart good news.

"Hello," she murmured with great trepidation.

San Francisco, California

She felt as if someone had taken a hammer to her head and smashed it to pieces. The light was so blinding it almost hurt to open her eyes. Pressing a hand to her aching head, a disoriented Teresa sat up slowly and looked around, panic settling in when she realized she had no idea where she was.

Running her tongue through her mouth she gazed about, hoping something in the room would give her a clue to her whereabouts but nothing seemed familiar. Pressing a hand to a peach covered wall, she tried to stand but her knees were too wobbly and wouldn't support her weight. But before she could fall a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her and a startled Teresa looked up into a pair of very familiar brown eyes.

"Nick?" she murmured in a sandpapery voice she barely recognized as her own. "What's going on?" she asked.

Nick only smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead, making Teresa shiver. There was something terrible in that smile. When he pressed a cup of water to her mouth, Teresa gulped the cool beverage greedily, her raging thirst momentarily overcoming her anxiety.

"Nick?" Teresa pressed though deep inside she knew exactly what had happened.

Nick's words confirmed her fears.

"I just wanted us to spend some time together Teresa. Just you and me the way it was always meant to be," he replied.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N- This story was really challenging for me and I can't say I enjoyed writing it as much as my other stories but I am proud of myself for finishing it. Only two chapters left and things will be wrapped up. **

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. It means a lot.**

Chapter 13

He clawed his way up through the gray mist. The clearing beyond it must exist he reassured himself, even if he couldn't yet see it. For a minute he thought that reaching it couldn't possibly be worth the struggle but something beyond him was so terrifying it propelled him forward.

He was steeped in pain. With increasing frequency he emerged from blessed oblivion into a glaring awareness that was accompanied by a pain so intense, so encompassing, he couldn't locate it. It was everywhere- inside him, on the surface. It was a saturating pain. Then just when he'd think he couldn't bare it any longer he'd be flooded with a warm rush of numbness- a magic elixir that rushed through his veins. Soon after the prayed for oblivion would follow.

His conscious moments became longer however. Muffled sounds reached him despite his fuzziness and by concentrating very hard he began to identify them; the whooshing sound of the respirator, the constant beeping of machinery, rubber soles squeaking on tile floors, ringing telephones.

Willing away the sounds and voices that permeated his consciousness he sank back into the peaceful nothingness that alleviated his pain somewhat. The dream caught him off guard. He could hear her screams as she begged someone to help her and in his minds eye he could see her; trapped somewhere, her hands bound behind her back and her beautiful face bathed with tears. Her expressive brown eyes were filled with terror and every once in a while the sobs she was trying so hard to suppress would escape: the mewling sounds so pitiful his heart ached for her. The man looming over her held a gun in his hand and fear overwhelmed him as he realized that her life was in imminent peril. A savage growl erupted from his throat as he lunged himself at the taller man but the black mist was impenetrable and he felt himself hurling into thin air.

"Teresa…" he shouted helplessly, his body thrashing wildly from side to side on the narrow cot.

"Fox, calm down, you have to calm down," a frazzled Ivy murmured to her son as she fruitlessly tried to calm his frenzied thrashing.

She had walked into the room moments before to find Fox shifting restlessly on the bed and she had been thrilled to realize he was slowly recovering consciousness. But her joy turned to worry as he thrashed about and fearing he was going to hurt himself she called a nurse to sedate him.

"Teresa…Teresa…no," he murmured, more quietly as the sedative began to do its job.

"Shhh," Ivy whispered. Softly stroking Fox's blond locks she began to hum, a catchy little tune that Fox had loved having her sing to him when he was a boy.

Another part of town

"Nick, what's going on, why did you bring me here? Where's Cody?" Teresa asked in a sandpapery voice that she hardly recognized as her own.

Though deep inside she knew exactly what had happened.

"Cody's fine Teresa," Nick replied in a soft voice. Lifting his hand he twirled a single strand of her hair around his thumb and smiled down at her.

"Drink this," he murmured pressing a cup of water to her mouth. "It will make you feel better," he added.

Teresa gulped the cool beverage greedily, her raging thirst momentarily overpowering the anxiety that had overwhelmed her from the second she had opened her eyes and realized she was being held prisoner.

"Resa, I know you're scared and confused and I'm sorry for it but I hope you realize that I would never purposely hurt you. I brought you here because we need some time alone to repair our relationship," he murmured. "Everything's been so damn crazy these last few weeks and I just wanted us to spend some time together; just you and me the way it was always meant to be."

"Nick," Teresa began but Nick shook his head and pressed a finger to her mouth.

"Baby, I know this looks bad and you have every right to be angry with me for tricking you into leaving the hospital with me but I didn't lie to hurt you, I lied for us. I love you so much Teresa. In my entire life I've never loved anyone the way I love you. You're everything to me. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you. Please tell me you understand why I did this," he begged.

"Nick, I know you love me…but I need to go back. I need to be with my daughter and with…"

"Fox?" Nick angrily replied. "Teresa, Fox will never love you the way I do. He has proven he's not trustworthy. He broke your heart once, how can you be sure he won't do it again," he asked.

"Nick, I don't want to talk about this right now," Teresa cried. "I just want to go home to my baby. Please take me home," she murmured her eyes welling with helpless tears as she thought of how scared and shaken Cody would be when she woke and realized her mother wasn't home.

"I can't take you home until I make you understand that Fox is no good for you," Nick shouted. "What's it going to take for you to realize that he's not the man you were meant to be with? We were destined for each other Teresa. You and I are two halves of one whole…like Romeo and Juliet," he murmured, a faraway look in his eyes and a soft smile curving his lips.

"We were meant for each other…two halves of one whole…destined to be together," Nick chanted over and over as Teresa watched him from eyes filled with abject terror as she realized that Nick had lost his hold on reality.

"Lord, what am I supposed to do now?" she wondered.

Harmony Maine

"Hello?" Pilar murmured with trepidation, a sixth sense warning her that the person on the other end of the line was not going to impart good news.

"Pilar, it's Julian," the Crane patriarch murmured.

"What can I do for you Mr. Crane?" Pilar asked briskly, hoping her business like tone hid the nerves that threatened to overwhelm her.

"Pilar…I guess you've heard that Fox was in an accident and has slipped into a coma," he began.

"Yes, it was all over the paper. I hope he recovers soon," Pilar replied though she was wondering what that had to do with her.

"Thank you," Julian replied graciously. "But the reason I called is because shortly after Ivy and I arrived at the hospital Teresa showed up, desperate to see Fox," he explained.

"What?" Pilar murmured breathlessly. "Teresa is in San Francisco?" she asked.

"She stayed overnight in the room with Fox," Julian replied. "But this morning when Ivy and I arrived to check on Fox, Teresa was nowhere to be found. No one knows where she's at Pilar," a regretful Julian murmured.

"No…she couldn't have disappeared into thin air Julian," Pilar screamed.

"Ivy and I will do everything within our power to locate her Pilar. But as next of kin you and Martin are the ones who need to file the missing person's report and talk to the police," Julian replied. "For both Teresa and Cody," he added.

"Cody?" a confused Pilar muttered.

"Cody is Teresa's daughter. She disappeared sometime last night too. The police have already started a search because it seems Teresa's apartment was broken into," Julian explained.

He waited a beat for Pilar's reply and when none was forthcoming he realized that she had dropped the phone.

A distraught Martin stared at his wife from tear filled eyes. Her despair tore at his heart but realizing that now wasn't the time to offer comfort he picked up the phone she had dropped and perched it on one ear.

"Crane, Martin here. Pilar and I will be on the first flight out of Harmony within the hour," he growled before disconnecting the call and turning to his inconsolable wife.

"Pilar, sweetheart you have to pull yourself together. Our daughter needs us to be strong," he murmured.

When she only stared at him from glazed eyes he muttered a curse under his breath and scooped her up in his arms. Quickly settling Pilar on the couch and wrapping a striped afghan on her trembling shoulders he raced up the stairs to their bedroom, dumped two day's worth of clothes for himself and Pilar into a black nylon bag and rushed down the stairs, snatching his wallet and car keys from the coffee table and adjusting the bag over his left shoulder before scooping up his dazed wife in his arms once more and walking out the door.

True to his word they arrived at Harmony International Airport in less than thirty minutes and were boarding a flight to San Diego within the hour. Having made arrangements to rent a car and drive the rest of the way to San Francisco, Martin settled a still shell shocked Pilar in her seat, strapped her seatbelt and then turned to stare out the window, his thoughts focused on Teresa and her daughter; the granddaughter he and Pilar had never known. Prayers jumbled in his brain and he supplicated the Lord to keep his girls safe…wherever they happened to be.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N- The countdown continues. The next chapter is the finale. Hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please, please, please read and review. **

Chapter 14

He was hot; so damn hot. His mouth seemed to be lined with cotton. Every muscle in his body ached abominably. He willed his eyes to open. The light was exceedingly bright. It hurt and made the pain in his head worse. Slowly his eyes accustomed themselves to the light and he let them open all the way.

He tried to orient himself and bring to mind his last memory but it seemed an insurmountable task. His random thoughts wouldn't be collected. The room seemed too large and then too small. Breathing heavily, warding off the nausea that threatened to overwhelm him at any moment, Fox tried to sit up. The pain bit into his middle and he collapsed back unto the bed with a muffled gasp.

"Fox," Ivy cried half joyfully and half with alarm. "What are you doing? Lie down," she reprimanded running over and helping him settle his lean frame on the bed.

"Mom?" an unnerved Fox asked. "What are you doing here? Where am I?" he asked.

"Don't you remember Fox? You were…mugged," Ivy explained after a slight hesitation.

"Mugged?" Fox repeated blankly.

The sudden rush of memories that engulfed him had his head spinning and Fox squeezed his eyes shut in deference to the pain. In his mind's eye he saw himself walking out of Teresa's apartments and the two thugs who had attacked him approach as he made his way to his car. He saw one of the burly men lash out and kick him in the groin and heard himself mumble something about them taking his car and the cash he had in his wallet just as the second thug, taller and burlier than his sidekick, shoved him to the ground and began to beat the crap out of him. He also remembered one of them replying that he didn't want money, that they were simply delivering a message. Recalling the exact words the thug had used, Fox became conscious of the fact that it'd been Nick who'd ordered the hit on him.

"Fox…Fox what's the matter?" Ivy asked frantically. Fox had turned as white as a ghost and his breathing was choppy and erratic.

With concentrated effort Fox forced his eyes open. "It was Bozman," he murmured. "He ordered the hit," Fox rasped trying to sit up and nearly groaning when he felt the room begin to spin once more.

"Fox, you're going to hurt yourself, lie down." Ivy cried agitatedly.

"Have…to warn…Teresa," Fox snapped.

"You're in no condition to go anywhere," Ivy replied briskly. "I will go talk to… Teresa. You stay put before you make things worse," she added softly.

Ignoring the pain that pumped through him with every breath Fox waited for his mother to disappear before getting up and slowly walking to the door. His instincts were screaming that something was wrong and he knew that it was all connected to Teresa. Bozman was obviously deranged and every second Teresa spent with that sociopath was one that put her in danger. As he agonizingly made his way to one of the doors marked with an exit sign, Fox silently promised that this time he'd protect Teresa no matter what it cost him.

----------

Alistair Crane frowned at the monitor in front of him. Nick Bozman had become a liability. He'd ordered Cody's kidnapping as a means of keeping Teresa in line but he'd had no idea Bozman planned on napping Teresa as well. Though the situation could be used to his advantage he didn't trust Bozman; the man was coming unglued at the hinges. No, it was best to cut his losses; permanently.

Reaching for the phone that sat at his desk, Alistair dialed a familiar number then tapped his feet while he waited for his connection to pick up. His impatience turned to frustration when all he got was the man's voicemail. Bennett knew better than to ignore Alistair's calls. He knew that if Alistair sent the info he had to the feds; his career would be over. That was the reason Hank had become Alistair's mole. Sam Bennett was a great errand boy but he lacked Hank's attitude and pizzazz. Hank had been left with no alternative but to accept Alistair's deal but he had accepted on his terms. Alistair had to admire that. Logically, Alistair knew there were a myriad of reasons why Hank might not be picking up his phone. But the instincts that had kept him at the top of the food chain for nearly half a century were screaming at him that something was wrong and like a wolf scenting a trap Alistair's gut was telling him to run.

"You're getting paranoid in your old age," Alistair murmured trying to shrug off his feelings of impending doom.

But just in case his instincts turned out to be correct Alistair reached inside a desk drawer and grabbed the gun he kept handy for emergencies. It was always best to be prepared.

----------

She lay passively beneath him, her lips bruised from the pressure she kept on them to keep from crying out. His every caress burned like a flame through her body, subtly reminding her of his ownership and she felt the humiliation to the deepest recesses of her soul. Though she'd never loved him, Teresa had always given herself to him willingly, knowing that her body was the prize she paid for the comforts he provided. And because it had been _her _choice, she didn't feel violated. But now it was different. Nick had taken away her freedom, making her his prisoner and she hated it; had almost begun to hate _him. _The tears she'd tried to keep at bay began to flow freely when he grunted above her and collapsed on top of her. Making no effort to stifle the sobs that wracked her slender form Teresa cried bitter tears for all that she had lost. For it wasn't until this moment that she realized how foolish she had been for so many years. Running away from her family and Fox hadn't solved any of her problems; it had only escalated them. She should have trusted her family to stand by her and she should have had faith in Fox's love.

"You're still thinking about that bastard aren't you? It doesn't matter that I am the one who has always been there for you; that I've laid the world at your feet all you care about is that son of a bitch who cheated on you with your best friend," Nick raged yanking her hair and forcing her to sit upright.

"Nick please that hurts," Teresa cried. Nick stared at her remorsefully and his dark eyes filled with regret. Extending a hand he reached out to stroke Teresa's raven locks but she flinched from him and he dropped his hand.

"Has being with me really been such a hardship? Haven't I treated Cody like she was my own? Haven't I been good to you?" Nick asked dropping to his knees and kneeling in front of her.

Teresa stared at him sorrowfully knowing that he was right. He had been good to her. He'd offered her a job and a place to stay when every other door had been slammed in her face and he'd been nothing but supportive when she'd meekly confessed that she was pregnant. She owed him a debt of gratitude she'd never be able to repay and if her heart hadn't belonged to Fox she might have been able to love him the way he wanted her to.

Nick pressed on without giving her a chance to reply. Blood boiled to his head and his penitence turned to rage once more. "Everything I have ever done has been for you. I fed you and clothed you and kept a roof over your head when you had nothing and you repaid me by fucking pretty boy in _our_ bed the first chance you got."

When Teresa gasped with surprise he laughed; a bitter laugh that sounded hollow even to his own ears. "Did you think I wouldn't find out your dirty little secret Teresa? I knew something was wrong and my suspicions were confirmed when I found you in bed with that creep."

"You were spying on me?" Teresa snapped.

"I was protecting my investment," Nick stressed yanking her hair and shoving her forcefully on the bed. "Did you think I'd give you up so easily after everything I've done for you? You're mine Teresa and I will _never_ let you go," he added menacingly.

Teresa shivered with apprehension fear curdling in her belly as it hit home that this wasn't the man she'd thought she'd known and she was utterly and completely at his mercy. In her mind's eye she traveled back to that horrible night three years earlier when Sam Bennett had made her his victim and something inside of her snapped. As Nick reached out to unsnap his trousers, Teresa brought up her left knee and kicked him twice in the groin. When Nick bellowed with pain Teresa grabbed the vase next to the ornate nightstand and smashed it over his head.

Nick crumbled to the floor in a heap and Teresa stifled sobs as she raced to the door that Nick had carelessly left unlatched. She'd almost reached the front door when she heard Nick clamoring down the stairs and terror seizing her Teresa clawed at the door trying to force it open before Nick caught up with her. Just as she was about to escape the door was pulled open from the other side and Alistair Crane strolled inside. As she stared into his flinty black eyes Teresa knew that she had escaped from the frying pan just to land in the fire. Stumbling, Teresa took a step back and slumped against Nick. Nick's arms tightened around her just as the sudden blast of gunfire filled the air.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N- I hope you all enjoy this chapter and that I tied up all the loose ends neatly for you. I do have the epilogue to this story completed but I want to post it at Ruth and Angie's first-so when the new board is up I will post up the epilogue to this story simultaneously. As always, quality feedback adored-please, please drop me a line even if it's just to say you hated the story.**

Chapter 15

A year later

She stood over his grave, her arms filled with the assortment of flowers she'd picked out earlier as she tried to begin the one sided conversation. She had so much to be thankful for but a part of her was haunted by the sacrifice he'd made for her and she knew that the only way she'd be able to move on with her life was by exorcising his ghost. Heedless of the rain that misted the air, Teresa dropped to her knees and reverently placed the flowers on his tombstone then let her mind drift to that dark afternoon that had changed her destiny.

Even now she could still feel the icy ball of terror that had lodged in her belly when the gunshots had rang out. Blind panic had assailed her when she felt Nick stumble against her and she'd realized he'd been shot but that was nothing to the terror that enveloped her when she saw Fox's inert frame slumped on the floor. A raw, grief stricken wail escaped her throat and she'd attacked Alistair like a banshee her anger giving her strength she otherwise would have lacked. Clawing at his face like a wild animal she'd felt savage satisfaction engulf her when she'd felt pieces of his skin underneath her fingernails and not even the knowledge that her death was imminent had taken away from her triumph.

Her own demise was unimportant; what mattered was that she'd marked him and whenever Alistair looked into a mirror he'd remember that she'd been the one to gouge his eye out. Almost numbly she waited for the bullet that would snuff out her life but when the shot rang out a pair of strong arms had shoved her out of the way and she'd turned to see Nick stumble to the ground, one hand pressed to his chest. Everything that happened afterwards remained a blank in her mind. Her next clear memory was of waking up in the hospital with Cody in her arms and her family (including Fox) by her side. Her relief at knowing both Cody and Fox had survived was offset by the sadness of knowing Nick had died protecting her from Alistair. In spite of everything he'd done, Teresa knew with absolute certainty that Nick had loved her and she couldn't let go of her feelings of guilt over the matter in which he had died.

"I never got to thank you for what you did," Teresa softly murmured.

"I never wanted your gratitude Resa," Nick replied dryly and a stunned Teresa lifted her head to see her former lover kneeling by her side.

"Nick?" Teresa murmured rubbing her eyes in an attempt to clear her head.

"In the flesh, so to speak," Nick retorted.

"But your dead," Teresa stammered uncomprehendingly.

"Don't remind me babe. Dying is damned inconvenient let me tell you," Nick told her with a half laugh. "Although in my case it was probably for the best. I wouldn't have enjoyed a stint in prison," he mused.

"Nick…"

"_Querida_, life is too precious to waste on useless regrets. The past cannot be changed. Make my sacrifice count for something and be happy," Nick murmured reaching out to twirl a strand of her hair with his thumb. Then just as quickly as he'd appeared he was gone and Teresa was once more alone with her thoughts.

"Resa, wake up." A male voice crooned in her ear and Teresa blinked sleepily up at Fox.

"I just had the weirdest dream," Teresa told him as Fox helped her to her feet.

"Yea well falling asleep at a graveyard will do that to you." Fox replied taking off his jacket and placing it around her damp shoulders as he guided her out of the cemetery. "You ok?" he asked when they had reached his car.

Thinking back to the encounter she'd had with Nick, Teresa smiled. Whether Nick's ghost had been real or a figment of her imagination wasn't important. What mattered was that she'd finally been able to come to terms with his death.

"I'm perfect," she told him honestly leaning over and pressing a soft kiss on his mouth. "But we have to make a detour on the way to the hospital." She added and Fox nodded before reaching out and linking their hands together.

----------

Harmony Police Department

"Are you sure you want to do this?" a concerned Fox asked as he anxiously scanned Teresa's tense features. To say that he had been surprised when Teresa had asked him to drive to the police department so she could talk to Sam was an understatement. He'd rejected the idea out of hand but she'd been so persistent he'd caved in. Now he wondered if he should have heeded his instincts and ignored Teresa's wishes.

"I have to do this. Sam…he was the only father I've ever known and what he did, shattered me. I need to confront him if I hope to move on," Teresa explained. "And don't take this the wrong way but I need to do this alone," she added softly and Fox nodded curtly, not trusting himself to reply.

As she walked down the long corridor the butterflies that had settled in her belly began to dance and Teresa felt herself begin to hyperventilate. Suddenly feeling dizzy Teresa forced herself to take slow, deep breaths until her stomach settled down once more and when she had regained control of her emotions, she nodded to the warden who went to release Sam from his cell.

As Sam walked into the room, Teresa let out a startled gasp. This man wasn't the monster of her dreams. Sam appeared to have aged thirty years. His gold hair had gone completely white and his bronzed complexion was ashen and pallid. The dark circles under his eyes were mute testimony of his many sleepless nights and he had lost so much weight his clothes didn't fit properly. Gazing into the blank eyes of the man she had once called father with some shock, Teresa realized that she the hatred that had festered inside her for so long was gone. There was nothing she could do to change what happened. Hating Sam gave him too much power and Teresa was tired of feeling bitter. Deciding that talking to Sam was a waste of time, Teresa turned to go but Sam's raspy voice stopped her in her tracks.

"For what its worth I'm sorry," he mumbled and Teresa froze.

"Don't…don't you dare apologize to me," Teresa ground out squeezing her eyes shut in a futile attempt to keep the tears at bay. "An apology isn't going to fix everything you've broken. I idolized you and you betrayed my trust in the vilest of ways."

"I never meant to…"

"Never meant to what Sam? _Rape_ me?" Teresa scoffed. "We both know that isn't true and don't insult my intelligence by trying to convince me otherwise. You knew exactly what you were doing that night and what's more you enjoyed it. At least be man enough to admit that."

Sam lowered his gaze, a slow flush staining his cheeks and Teresa pressed a hand to her mouth as bile rose to her throat.

"You…make…me…sick" she enunciated clearly contempt flashing in her dark eyes.

Walking over to him, she slapped him hard. Sam recoiled but made no effort to defend himself.

"I swear to you that as of this moment, I will never spare you another thought Sam. But _you_ will spend the rest of your life remembering me." Teresa told him. "Every time that door locks behind you, every hour that you are trapped in this godforsaken place, you will remember that though you robbed me of my innocence, _I_ deprived you of your freedom."

Without another word she turned her back to Sam and rapped hard on the door. When the warden opened it she brushed past him and fell into Fox's waiting arms. Cradling her slender frame against his, Fox stroked her hair and when the tears finally abated Teresa drew a shaky breath and smiled up at him. Returning her smile, Fox lifted her chin and pressed a kiss on her upturned mouth then he pressed a hand to the nape of her neck and guided her towards the exit.

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Harmony Hospital

"I'm so nervous," Teresa admitted as they waited for the nurse to arrive with the precious document that would alter their lives. Teresa knew Fox loved her, she felt it with every fiber of her being, but Cody? Could Fox truly love Cody, accept her as his own if she turned out to be Sam's?

Fox squeezed her frigid fingers. "There's nothing to be nervous about," he gently reprimanded her.

"I can't help it...I..."

Fox gently kissed the top of her head. "Don't be nervous," he repeated his voice tender.

Scanning Teresa's anxious face he read all the unspoken questions that lay there. Staring at her for a moment, he nodded his head as if he had made an important decision then stood up. "Let's go."

"Go where?" Teresa gaped, her eyes as large as saucers, as Fox dragged her to her feet and pushed her towards the stairs. "We have to wait for the nurse; she'll have the results..."

"We don't have to do anything," Fox replied easily.

Just then the nurse called out their names, a sealed white envelope in her hands, and Teresa stopped dead in her tracks. "Don't you want to know what it says?" she asked hesitantly.

"No. I already know what it says," Fox replied, not even turning around. "That beautiful little girl is mine. I don't need a document to validate what I know in my heart to be true."

"Fox," Teresa exclaimed.

"Cody is my daughter in every way that counts, Resa" Fox replied fiercely. "I love her and she loves me and we both love her mommy. That's more than enough for me. The only thing that would make my happiness complete is if my daughter's mommy agreed to become my wife."

He said it so matter-of-factly that Teresa didn't catch the double entendre right away and when she did she could only gawk at him.

"Will you marry me Resa?" Fox asked simply and Teresa gazed at him with stars in her eyes.

"Yes Fox, yes of course I will marry you. Being your wife is all I have ever dreamed of." Teresa replied and heedless of the people milling about Fox scooped her up in his arms and spun her around.

Feeling dizzy with happiness, Teresa closed her eyes and whispered a prayer of thanks. Her nightmare had finally ended and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that her happily ever after had just begun.


End file.
